


Darkness

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, M/M, but also more flangst, it's angsty but they've got each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 18:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17944595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: The Keepers of the Light emerge from the Stonecutter's Vault to find their horses missing. Willow and Shane belong to willownorthbook, Louisa is mine, Jay, Astor, and Izzy belong to SpaceUnicornDot, Via belongs to east-valley on tumblr, and Daine belongs to HellishSam.





	Darkness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [willownorthbook](https://archiveofourown.org/users/willownorthbook/gifts), [HellishSam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellishSam/gifts), [SpaceUnicornDot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceUnicornDot/gifts).



Willow was the first to notice that something was wrong when the group left the Stonecutter's Vault. Louisa bumped into her, immediately apologising. But then she stopped and looked around.

"Willow? What's wrong?" Louisa asked. Willow was frozen, and not just from the chill in the air.

"Hawkeye." Willow's voice was barely even there, stolen by the mist. She turned to Louisa, eyes wide. Louisa had never seen her friend look so frightened before. "Is he actually gone or is this just my mind playing tricks on me?" Louisa could tell, by the strain in Willow's voice, that Willow was dearly hoping that it was just her mind playing tricks on her. But she moved out of the way so that Jay, Izzy, Via, Shane, Daine, and Astor could exit behind her. Immediately, Jay went to link hands with his girlfriend, squeezing her hand tightly.

"Where are they?" Jay asked, noticing the same thing that Louisa and Willow had- that there were no horses to be seen.

"I don't know," said Louisa. Maybe Goldie had wandered off to check Icengate, or to see if there were any sign of the Kallters returning. She could only hope.

"Inanna?" Via called, appearing behind Daine, who looked just as worried as Willow. There was no response, save the howl of the wind.

"Cloud?" Daine called. He sounded scared.

"They wouldn't just wander off like this," said Willow, rubbing her arms and shivering from more than just the cold. "Something's wrong, something's happened, I know it." Jay pulled her closer to him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Willow squeezed her eyes shut, trembling.

"Maybe we should look for them," said Izzy. "It's a lot of horses, they couldn't have just disappeared." Though stranger things had happened in Jorvik.

"You're right," said Louisa, nodding. "But don't split up. Let's stick together, hey?"

"Sounds like a good plan to me," said Shane. He gripped Via's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him, his presence grounding her somewhat.

Jay kept as close as he could to Willow as the group walked through the frozen forest. They could see hoofprints in front of them, leading them to where the horses should hopefully be. It was hard to miss the churned-up snow from the hooves of some eight horses. Why had they wandered off? It looked like they hadn't been running, though running through a forest was too dangerous anyway, what with the rocky terrain here.

The whole time, Willow tried to keep as calm as she could. This was her worst nightmares realised, but it would be okay. It had to be. They'd find the horses, go back to Evergray, and it would all be fine.

"Oh, you're still here," said Astor, heaving a sigh of relief as they came out of the trees and saw Evergray still standing by the portal gate. He walked over to embrace his husband, trembling with relief.

"What, did you think something terrible would happen to me?" Evergray asked with a chuckle.

"Yes," said Astor, his face serious for once. "Especially after it looked like we'd been followed."

"There were so many horses, of course it sounded like there were hoofsteps," said Evergray, waving off his concern. "Though, speaking of, where are the horses?"

"You mean they're not with you?" Astor asked, eyes wide. "Then wh-"

A chilling laugh suddenly echoed from all around them, and a point of blackness began to grow between Astor and Evergray and the Keepers of the Light. But it expanded quickly, revealing the forms of a red-robed, hooded figure on a demonic black horse. Dark flames wreathed the equine, who glared at them with baleful red-flickering eyes.

"Well, well, well," said the voice that they all knew well by now. "Looks like you walked right into my little trap. Just as I knew you would."

"What do you want, Sabine?" Louisa demanded, putting as much strength into her voice as she could despite how she trembled.

"Where are the horses?" Jay asked.

"Ge out of here before I Soul Strike you," said Willow, clenching her fist. Lightning already flickered there. Via stepped up beside her, the temperature somehow dropping even more. Sabine threw her head back and laughed again.

"One at a time," said Sabine once she'd finished laughing. "I want the keystone. You want your horses. I think that's a pretty fair trade."

"Well, you won't get it," said Astor, stepping in front of his husband. Being that Evergray was taller than him, this didn't really have the desired effect. But the Keepers of Light all knew that what Astor lacked in physical size, he more than made up for in magical strength and sheer stubborn determination.

"You'll have to fight us for it," said Via, stepping forward. She raised her hand, the air around her chilling further as she formed an ice spike from the water that surrounded them in the form of snow. Sabine only rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please," said Sabine, eyes gleaming yellow beneath her hood. "You're nothing compared to me." And, before Via could throw the ice spike, Sabine sent out a spear of darkness that pierced Via's heart and made her double over.

"No!" Shane cried, lunging for his girlfriend. He grabbed onto her but the darkness affected him, too, causing his knees to buckle.

"Shane, no, she's-" Via started, tears in her eyes, but she could see by her boyfriend's drawn face that he could feel it, too. The draining sensation, the feeling of darkness smothering them. This was her fault, her mind told her. Her fault for not being stronger, for not being faster. And now Sabine had the ancient power of the Kallters at her fingertips, the power to manipulate water and turn it into ice. She could send spears of ice through the hearts of all of her friends, and there was nothing that Via could do about it. And she knew that Daine's fire powers were muted here, so there was no melting them. Via turned her head into Shane's chest, tears streaming down her cheeks now.

"Well, well," Sabine marvelled, holding her hand up as snowflakes and smoke wreathed it. "Two for the price of one. Oh, how stupid human loyalty is."

"You bitch!" Astor seethed, starting forward, but Sabine sent up a wall of thick ice between the Keepers and the older men.

"That's better," said Sabine.

"Don't use your magic!" Via cried, looking at her friends, at the lightning that crackled between Willow's fingers, the power that turned Jay's eyes almost golden. "She'll take it and use it against you."

For once, Louisa was glad that she had no defensive magic. But that didn't stop how powerless she felt as she saw her friends fall to Sabine's darkness, one by one. And if it was affecting Via this much, the girl who was always happy, always raring to go, she could only imagine what it was doing to everyone else. To Willow and Daine, especially. To Jay. And then it hit her, the darkness not only hurting her but causing her mind to work against her. She saw every failure, saw what would have happened if she hadn't helped save Lisa in time, saw the Dark Riders coming for her and tearing Goldie from her forever, saw her friends abandoning her or dying while she was helpless to save them, saw someone saying 'if only you could fight', 'if only you were faster', if only if only if only…

Jay had lost everything once, before he'd fled to Jorvik. He'd seen his family die, had seen what Garnok had done to his home. He saw that happening again now, only to Jorvik. Saw it all from the bars of the cell where the druids had thrown him after uncovering his Pandorian heritage. And he was powerless to stop it. Saw Willow torn from him, saw Star gone, saw his friends abandoning him.

Shane relived his childhood, relived every harsh thing that his mother had ever said to him, only this time, there was no Willow to help with it. Every horse that he tried to work with turned and fled, every time he picked up his guitar, only the most discordant sounds came out. He was worthless, he was nothing, what was smoke manipulation when the world was on the line? Worse, he saw the doors of Icengate closing after Via rode through them on Inanna. Leaving him behind forever.

The last time that Daine had felt this way, he'd been in Pandoria. Had been separated from Cloud, had lost his best friend, had been attacked by Garnok and had lost his wings. He saw everything that Garnok had shown him, and realised that this must have been the very darkness that Garnok had used on him. This was the true power of Dark Core. Apathy. Depression. And this pain that felt like his wings had been torn from his back again. But they were still there, he could feel them aching beneath his skin. Only this time, there was no Cloud. And there was nothing that he could do to help his friends, Sabine would steal his magic if he tried but it felt muffled anyway, from the sheer cold.

Izzy hadn't been feeling right for months, now. Everything was fucked, they were all fucked, nothing was right anymore. Rin was right, Rin was good, but now, Izzy saw what would happen if she told Rin the truth. Saw Rin get overexcited and get dragged into the mess. Saw Rin die at the hands of Dark Core. And she sobbed, crying out for her girlfriend. And she saw her father, all the way back home, on his ranch with his horses, waiting for her next letter. The letter that would never come, that hadn't come for ages anyway because she hadn't been able to think of a single thing to write to him. Hadn't been able to think of anything positive, anything worth reporting on. She saw Copper taken away from her, saw him perish in the foaming waves despite the wings that he'd once sprouted.

Willow's nightmares had returned, and this time, they weren't going away. She saw Hawkeye die, again and again, saw him plunge over the edge of Pandoria with a panicked whinny that was cut off far too soon. Felt the pain lance her heart, and it felt real this time, hurting far worse than she'd ever imagined. She saw her father, Quinn, Shane, Daine, everyone she loved die at the hands of Dark Core, or at the tentacles of Garnok. But was it worse if she was having them while she was awake? While she could hear her friends screaming around her, could feel Jay clinging to her like he did when he woke up from a nightmare that he no longer hid from her? To know that they were suffering, and to not be able to help. She could only imagine how Louisa was feeling.

And then- a flash of light. Sabine gasped, her horse snorted, and suddenly, the pain faded away. Willow opened her eyes first and sobbed at the sight of Hawkeye in front of her, his head lowered as he snorted at the Dark Rider. The other six horses were there too, somehow. Had they been trapped, had they been nearby, what had happened?

But she didn't have time to wonder, as Sabine scoffed.

"So you've got your horses, so what?" said Sabine, raising her hand up again. The temperature dropped. "Now it'll just be easier to break you, once I kill your horses in front of you."

"You wouldn't dare!" Daine seethed, his hand on Cloud's side as he stepped threateningly towards Sabine.

"Why not? It'd be just as easy as killing Concorde," said Sabine. At once, a primal scream erupted in Daine's mind, the screech of Aideen. His vision whited out with rage, but Cloud saw the beam coming again and picked Daine up with his neck, flinging the man onto his back.

Louisa sobbed as she clung to Goldie, her fingers curling in his mane. That had hurt so much, and she could still feel the lingering chorus of agony from her friends.

"Come on," Goldie rumbled in her mind, and helped Louisa up onto his back. Once she was settled, her feet in the stirrups and hands on the reins, Goldie took off, running with the other Soul Steeds through the forest while their riders clung to their backs and shards and sheets of ice sprang up around them. Sabine followed, teleporting at random intervals and spearing that darkness at them whenever they ran past her. It hit Louisa a few times, and each time, she was glad for the support of Goldie beneath her. But she still flinched whenever one of her friends was struck. And, when she was the first one out of the forest and safely on the other side while spears of darkness shot through the forest, the screams of her friends echoing from beyond, Louisa realised with a shock that she'd abandoned her friends.

"No, we have to go back for them," said Louisa, nudging Goldie's sides even as her hands trembled and tears threatened to freeze to her cheeks.

"We can't," said Goldie, moving away from the forest. But Louisa still twisted in her saddle and looked back.

"I'll walk, then," said Louisa, but when she tried to dismount, her foot tangled in the stirrup and she fell, crying out at the pain of her twisted ankle and the sudden burn of a graze on her cheek. She was glad for the rune that Linda had taught her to render her glasses unbreakable.

"Louisa!" Louisa looked up in time to find Astor pulling Merlin to a stop in front of her and dismounting to kneel in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be right," said Louisa, touching her fingers to her cheek to heal the graze. At least the sensation of healing was warm. She almost smiled at the familiar situation, remembering that falling from Goldie had been how she'd discovered her healing abilities in the first place. She winced as she touched her ankle, but it was only a sprain and easily healed. She looked back towards the forest. "But they won't be." Astor chuckled.

"As you say, they'll be right," said Astor. "They're the fighters, you're the healer. And the healer has to remain safe."

"But I have to help them," said Louisa, her eyes burning with tears.

"You can help them best by staying safe, and waiting here for them," said Astor. "They'll be out before you know it."

"I hope so," said Louisa. "Will you wait with me?"

"Well, I'd say somebody needs to, so you don't drive yourself out of your mind with worry," said Astor.

"Thank you," said Louisa, pulling him into a hug. She trembled, her body still prickling with the pain inflicted upon her friends.

It was a relief when Izzy and Copper appeared out of the forest, relatively unscathed. Shane and Via followed, Via with tears frozen on her face and Shane looking rattled as well as drawn. Louisa gave each of them a hug, checking them over for injuries. Fortunately, aside from some bruised knuckles on Shane, grazed knees on Via, and a little nick from a branch on her arm on Izzy, they were fine. But Jay looked terrified when he pulled Star to a hard stop and turned around to stare with huge eyes back into the forest.

"Willow!" he called while Star snorted and tossed his head. Louisa could guess at the conversation that was currently happening between the two, having had a similar conversation with Goldmist not long ago.

"It's okay, she'll be out soon, I'm sure, she'll be fine," said Astor. But Louisa shared Jay's concern, as was usual for the two of them.

And then Louisa suddenly buckled, Astor trying to hold her up, as sudden pain flashed in her body as though she'd just come off a horse.

Back in the forest, Willow screamed as she came out of her saddle. She heard something snap, but Sabine was coming and she had to get away. Willow scrambled backwards, her legs shaking too much to get to her feet, as the shadow-wreathed horse appeared in front of her with a thump of bass that rattled Willow's bones. Hawkeye stumbled to his feet, giving a fearful whinny as Sabine dismounted and strode towards his rider. Smoke wreathed her, Shane's smoke, looking wrong on her. Willow sobbed as she tried and failed to stand, as her hand buckled under her with a flash of pain up her arm. Sabine only laughed.

"I've got you now," Sabine taunted as her boots crunched on the snow. It sounded so loud in Willow's ears, even over her pounding heart. "Oh, the things we'll be able to do with you..." Willow raised her hand, the one that was now beginning to throb, and tried to spark lightning, but Sabine merely absorbed it into the smoke and grinned. Willow had never been so terrified in her life.

The crackle of lightning was the only warning either of them got before a bolt of lightning struck Sabine in the back, causing her to whip around to snarl at her attacker. Khaan snarled, too, baring teeth that were far too sharp to belong to an equine.

"Get away from my sister!" Daine roared, more electricity crackling in his hand. Willow gave a sob of relief, which Sabine mercifully didn't hear as she smirked at Daine.

"Two for the price of one," said Sabine. "Now, this will be fun. Strange, though- I thought Garnok killed you."

"Aideen won't let me die," said Daine, grinning. He resisted the sudden temptation to quote his fiance in a 'let's dance'. But Sabine took his invitation anyway, more darkness gathering in her hand. Behind her, to Daine's relief, he saw Hawkeye pulling Willow onto his back, galloping away once she was in his saddle.

"Let's see just how far you're willing to go to protect your friends," said Sabine, ignoring the fleeing Willow. As soon as Willow was safely away from them, Daine sent a spear of lightning towards Sabine. It was funny, he'd always struggled with his lightning abilities, fire coming more easily and naturally to him, but now, when Willow was in danger, it had finally come out, crackling through him. Maybe that said something about his bond with Willow, despite their fights, despite their differences of opinion, despite everything, something there was strong enough to bring out the fight in him when his fire lay dormant. Though he really wished that he could summon at least a spark of flame right now.

As soon as Willow burst out of the trees, Jay gave a cry of relief and ran towards her, colliding with her and taking her face in his hands to cover her face with kisses after she'd dismounted.

"Oh, thank Aideen you're safe," Jay murmured, gazing into her green eyes, her tear-streaked face.

"No, not Aideen," said Willow. "Thank Daine, he saved me, he's-" She turned around. She'd thought that Daine would be right behind her, distracting Sabine for a moment before racing after her and away from the Dark Rider.

"I'll get him," said Astor, turning Merlin to face the forest. "You kids wait here, I'll be back out with everyone's favourite pasta dish in no time." Louisa watched him go, as did Willow, both looking worried for their friend and Astor.

Daine had fought well despite his powers being only newfound and despite the streams of darkness and ice that lashed at him. But then, he'd slipped up, had taken the bait when Sabine had feinted him into a trap. Now, his head was bowed and his shoulders hunched, Cloud pinning his ears and lowering his head, as Sabine aimed a thick beam of pure darkness at them, sapping their energy. But worse than that was the memories that were rising in his mind thanks to Sabine's dark spell.

He was drowning again. Sure, he couldn't feel any water around him, couldn't taste the icy-cold water flowing into his mouth, but his limbs still felt like they were freezing, his teeth aching, fingertips going numb. His hearing was muffled, now, and everything was dim, like it had been when he'd died before Cole or Aideen or whoever had brought him back to life. But this time, he somehow knew that there was no Cole coming, that nobody would save him this time. That this was it. He'd drown on dry land, the cruelest of ironies.

"Need a hand, linguine?" Astor called, and suddenly, the darkness lifted and Daine could breathe again.

"Thanks," said Daine, too relieved and scared to joke around.

"Get out of here," said Astor, frowning at Sabine. "I've dealt with this bitch before, I can do it again."

"Oh, you're with them," said Sabine, glowering at Astor. "Well, that's okay, I still know how to deal with you."

"Go," said Astor, seeing Daine hesitate. "Check up on your sister, and make sure my husband isn't doing anything stupid. Well, stupider than that potato thing, anyway." Daine nodded and rode off, every part of him aching. And he suddenly desperately wanted to get home to his fiance.

Willow sent a prayer of thanks to Aideen when Daine came out of the forest on Cloud. But then, all they could do was watch as spells lashed in the forest, interspersed with the darkness and the boom of teleportation. The group gathered, almost holding their breath as they waited for Astor to emerge.

But it wasn't Astor who teleported in front of them. Sabine looked triumphant as she sat on Khaan before them while the group gathered together.

"I have to hand it to that annoying bastard, he put up a better fight than last time," said Sabine.

"Where is he?" Daine demanded.

"With Concorde," Sabine quipped. "But don't think you're free- I still want that keystone."

"Well, you're not getting it," said Willow. "You can just fuck right off."

"Fine, be that way, I can just pick it off your corpse, whichever one of you has it," said Sabine. And Via cried out as shards of ice erupted from the ground, encircling the group and closing them in. It was so dark, made worse by Sabine's dark spell. Willow and Daine tried to light the area with their lightning, and Jay didn't dare use his illusions lest Sabine uncover the truth behind his heritage, even Izzy held up her fragment of Aideen's light, but nothing worked to pierce the darkness. Every spell that was shot Sabine's way was absorbed and flung right back at them, and Louisa cired out and ducked as a bolt of lightning passed directly overhead. And, no matter how hard he tried, Daine couldn't get his fire magic to work. Worse, Via felt like this whole thing was her fault, because Sabine wouldn't have been able to manipulate the ice like this if she hadn't stolen her cyrokinesis. Even Shane was pretty sure that half of the gloom came from Sabine manipulating smoke that she created herself. With every absorbed spell, Sabine stepped closer. They were trapped, and there was no way out. Maybe this was it.

There was a shout, and suddenly, light burst at the top of the ice enclosure that Sabine had created before fire melted the ice away. And now, it was Louisa's turn to cry at the sight of her fiancee riding towards her alongside Alex.

"Soul Riders," Sabine hissed. Louisa took the chance and rode over to Lisa, who wrapped an arm around her fiancee and pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"Too right, bitch," said Alex. "Piss off."

"I've defeated all of these, I can take you on too," said Sabine.

"Maybe so," said Alex. "But that lot, no offense, are a bunch of amateurs. Lise and I, though? We're fully trained Soul Riders. And with all of us together, that's, what, eight against one? Face it, Sabine, you're outnumbered. So, are you gonna fight us, or are you gonna run?"

The answer was the bass of teleportation, followed by the disappearance of Sabine. Alex grinned.

"That's what I thought," said Alex. And at last, Louisa turned her body into Lisa's and clung to her as tightly as she could while on horseback.

"I was so scared," Louisa whimpered.

"Me too," said Lisa, tears spilling from her own eyes as she ran her fingers through her fiancee's long brown hair. "But you're safe now. I promise."

"Not just yet, we're not," said Evergray. He sat on Merlin's back, cradling Astor in his arms.

"Astor," said Izzy, eyes wide with dismay. A sombre mood settled over the group as they looked at their fallen mentor and friend.

"Oh for- you were supposed to run away while I distracted her! But I'm fine," said Astor, waving their concerns away. He opened his eyes, though he didn't move from Evergray's grip. "Are you all okay? Stupid question, don't answer that, I know you're not. But my husband is right, we need to get through the portal to Epona."

"Who wants to go first?" Alex asked. "I volunteer, if no one else will."

"Maybe you should tell Linda where we're going first?" Lisa suggested. "She is the reason we're here, after all. She had a vision that something would happen here."

"I have never seen Lisa run for Starshine so fast in my life," said Alex.

"Well, gee, I'm sorry I was concerned for my fiancee's wellbeing," said Lisa. Louisa butted her head against Lisa's shoulder, tears spilling down her cheeks. It was nice, to know that somebody cared about her.

"I know, I know," said Alex, smiling as she got her phone out. She sent a few messages to Linda, muttering something about s'mores (to which Astor, especially, perked up), and then put her phone away. "Let's go, Tin Can, yee-ha!"

"Haw," Izzy muttered, but Alex was already gone. Izzy followed after her, though.

"See you on the other side," said Lisa, still holding Louisa close to her. But they stayed outside for a moment, Lisa still rubbing Louisa's arm. Shane and Via followed after Izzy, then Jay, then Willow and Daine, Lisa and Louisa, and finally, Astor and Evergray brought up the rear.

The space between worlds always looked different, as Willow had discovered on her many (too many, really) visits here. But this place looked a lot different to the place that Willow had become familiar with when she'd visited it many times after Jay had gone missing and the nightmares. It was distinctly pinker here. The crackle of static electricity raised the hairs on her arms, and she shivered at the prickling sensation. The other place hadn't hurt, but this one did. Or maybe that was because she still felt sore and sensitive after what Sabine had done to her. She certainly felt fragile. Daine noticed, though he mistook her general anxiety for something else. But Willow still felt a lot better than she had before when Daine rode up beside her. They hadn't been this close in months, since... since Ydris had cheated on Daine and nearly broken his heart. She couldn't believe how much she'd missed her soul brother.

"I'll ride next to you," said Daine. "They'll probably just think the glow's coming from me if you ride close enough." They all knew that he was half Pandorian now, after all, he'd 'come out' to the group not long ago.

"Thank you," said Willow, leaning on his shoulder for a moment. But she couldn't stay there the whole time, though they rode as closely together as they could. And, though Willow hadn't noticed just how stressed she felt, she could have cried at the warmth that slowly began to creep through her as she rode close to Daine. And it wasn't just from the heat that he always radiated thanks to his fire abilities. This warmth came from Willow's chest, almost like something in her was overjoyed to be this close to Daine again. It felt almost as though being away from Daine for so long had been like going without sunlight. Without warmth.

Daine felt the same way, like some great wrong had finally been put right. The darkness that had been lingering in his soul seemed to be banished now, as if Willow was some bright light piercing through it. He'd missed her so much, they'd been so distant, her refusal to accept Ydris as part of his life had caused him more distress than anything else lately. And yet, running in to save her from Sabine had been the easiest, most natural thing in the world. Of course he'd save Willow, he'd always come to her rescue, why wouldn't he? Even if she hated him, he couldn't just abandon his soul sister. At least, that was what it felt like, though they'd never talked about it with anyone. Maybe they would, eventually. Once Anne was home and they could relax. If they made it out of this alive.

The end of the path between worlds came into sight far sooner than anyone had expected.

"Why have we been using roads all this time?" Alex asked as she stopped Tin Can in front of the portal gate.

"Beats me," said Lisa, who rode as close to Louisa as Daine was to Willow. Though, for a significantly different reason.

"Because the druids are fucking cowards," Astor declared. He was now sitting in Merlin's saddle, Evergray behind him with his hands resting gently on his husband's waist. It wasn't clear who he was supporting, but Astor looked a bit better than he had. He still looked mildly scorched, though.

"See, this is why I married him," said Evergray.

"As I recall, it was the other way around," said Astor, leaning his head back on his husband's shoulder.

"Come on, we can't stay in here forever," said Izzy. She clicked Copper into a trot, hoping that they wouldn't be riding into an ambush.

But, thankfully, the land on the other side of the portal was clear. No Dark Riders lying in wait, nothing, not even a stray sheep. Or a stray Trouble. Izzy breathed a sigh of relief, as did Alex, though Alex had a strange look in her eyes.

"This is it," Alex murmured, sitting a little straighter in Tin Can's saddle. But, before Izzy could ask Alex what was wrong, her friends began to emerge from the portal. First Jay, then Astor and Evergray, Lisa and Louisa, Shane and Via, and finally, Willow and Daine. Willow breathed a sigh of relief, feeling unexpected glee at being back on non-Pandorian soil again. Daine stepped away from her as Willow's scars began to fade back into normal.

And then Hawkeye stumbled.

Whatever fragile hold on herself Willow had shattered at that tiny stumble that should have meant nothing. She screamed, almost tumbling from the saddle as she knelt down to check on Hawkeye. He held his front hoof above the ground, curled close to him, and Willow immediately wondered how long he'd been silently holding it together.

"Don't worry about me," Hawkeye rumbled in her mind. "My injury matches yours. Well, almost. Not really. But you are far worse-off than me."

"What's wrong?" Louisa asked, her panic mounting again as she hurried over to her grieving friend and the injured horse that she knelt beside.

"Hawk, he's hurt, he's-" Willow said, her voice cutting off as her throat threatened to close up from the tears and emotion.

"Show me," said Louisa, her hands going to the leg that Hawkeye held above the ground. She ran her hands gently on the leg until Hawkeye gave a rumble of pain. Willow was trembling. Louisa gave a sigh of relief once the minor muscle tear had been healed. "He's fine, it was just a tear."

"Oh, thank you," said Willow, her shoulders shaking as she threw her arms around her friend. But, just as she did that, Louisa felt a flare of pain in her own wrist. It wasn't her pain, though.

"What did you do?" Louisa asked as she held Willow close to her in a hug. Willow tried to pull away, but Louisa had quite strong arms thanks to dealing with Trouble for months. And at last, Willow sagged against her.

"I must've broke my wrist when I came off Hawk," said Willow. She pulled away when Louisa loosened her grip and held her hand out, the wrist already swelling up. Louisa looked to Lisa, who came over to help hold Willow's wrist still. Willow winced at first, but her face softened after the click that signified that the break had healed.

"There you go," said Louisa, letting go of Willow's wrist. She felt tiredness lapping at her from healing so much, but she could still feel pain. A lot of it. So much of it hit her at once, like a wave of agony, that she had to lean on Lisa for support.

"Let's head up to the campsite," said Alex. "Come on, those marshmallows are calling my name! Lin's just texted, she said she's up there with the marshmallows and Concorde."

"I second that motion," said Astor. But Louisa grabbed Merlin's bridle, though she swayed on her feet a little.

"No," said Louisa, trying to glare him down from where he sat on a Clydesdale. "You're not going anywhere until I heal you."

"I'm fine," said Astor.

"I had to carry you through the portal," said Evergray.

"You did not," said Astor. "I rode." Merlin nickered, to which Astor scowled and weakly swatted his horse's neck. "Ass."

"Astor, please, if I don't do this, I don't know what I'll do," said Louisa, shaking now. Everything was hitting her at once, the fear, the pain, the lingering effects of darkness, the guilt over not fighting, and if she couldn't do this, then she really would be useless. Even if she was on the verge of passing out, she had to do something.

"Very well," said Astor. "If this is what you need." Astor dismounted, almost falling to the ground, and not just from the height. Louisa's own skin burned with the sting of Astor's burns, her bones ached, and her head was killing her. Though she wasn't sure if that was from Astor's magical exhaustion or from herself being on the verge of burnout. And, though she couldn't heal that, she could make it better. And heal the few broken ribs and fingers and toes. Sabine had really done a number on him.

"You were not fine," said Louisa, swaying and falling into Lisa once the last of Astor’s injuries had been healed. Her fiancee caught her, stumbling a little as she took Louisa's full weight.

"Come on," said Lisa, half-dragging Louisa back over to Starshine. Goldie gave a worried nicker, looking at his rider, but he seemed content to see Louisa with Lisa.

Louisa had never been so tired in her life, leaning back against Lisa as they rode towards the campsite. She still ached, but it was different now. Her own pain, more than that of the others. But it was also just bone weariness from over-exerting herself, from draining her magical reserves. And from the adrenaline rush wearing off.

"We're here now," Lisa said quietly. "Are you okay to dismount? Need someone to pull you off?"

"Maybe someone to catch me," Louisa murmured, her eyes still half-closed. Lisa looked up, her arms still wrapped around her fiancee.

"Jay," said Lisa. "You're pretty strong, come catch my future wife."

"Hey," said Jay, standing beside Starshine. Louisa let go of Starshines saddle and pulled her body away from Lisa's, then shakily pulled her leg over Starshine. She fell, thankfully only a short distance before Jay caught her.

"Can you walk?" Jay asked, eyes wide with concern.

"Just bring her over here," said Lisa, supporting Louisa over her shoulder while Jay took her other arm. Louisa could walk, she was just so tired that she might pass out at any moment. And she did, once she was horizontal with her head resting on the log seat that sat near the spot where the fire would soon be lit. Dusk was already tingeing the sky pink.

The stars were out when Louisa next opened her eyes. She breathed in, smelling the smoky wood fire in front of her.

"Heeey, good morning," said Lisa, smiling down at her. Louisa could see the firelight flickering on Lisa's face, in her eyes. She looked beautiful. Louisa sat up, reaching up to press a kiss to her fiancee's lips.

"What time is it?" Louisa asked, rubbing her eyes beneath her glasses. Naps were always funny like that, she never knew how long she'd been asleep for.

"About seven, I'd say?" said Lisa. "You just missed a great argument, Shane says s'mores are an acceptable dinner but Linda tried to convince him to go out and buy sausages."

"Who won?" Louisa asked. But, as she looked around at the people huddled by the campfire, she saw a distinct lack of Shane or Mystic. That answered that question. Via and Inanna were gone, too. But so was Izzy. "Where's Izzy?"

"She said she needed some fresh air," said Lisa. "I think she needed some time to process everything that's happened."

"I don't blame her," said Louisa. Her stomach growled, making Lisa laugh.

"Yep, magical burnout will do that to ya," said Lisa.

"Lin, throw her the bag of marshmallows," said Alex from where she leaned against the seat adjacent from Lisa and across from Linda. Jay and Willow sat on the log beside Alex, leaning against each other. Daine sat on the other side of Alex, staring into the flickering flames.

"It was right here a second ago," said Linda, patting the ground around her and frowning. "Where'd it go?"

Ordinarily, the sight of a bay and white trakehner stumbling past, a plastic and very empty marshmallow bag stuck over his head, would have made Louisa groan and roll her eyes. But this time, she laughed until tears rolled down her face.

"How did he even-" Linda asked, turning around to look at Trouble.

"He's dating a horse belonging to a cryptid, that's all you need to know," said Louisa, still giggling.

"Chocolate is just as good, then," said Lisa. "That power Sabine used was like Dementors, right?"

"Yes, actually," said Louisa, frowning. "How do you know?"

"We filled her in," said Jay. "She was worried."

"Oh," said Louisa. "Thanks." She smiled, resting her head against Lisa's thigh as she looked up at her. But she sat up again when Lisa handed her a bottle of water, followed by a bar of chocolate. And finally, Louisa felt her strength return to her.

"Hey now, don't fill up on junk food," said Shane as he and Via rounded the corner and dismounted, leaving their horses at the little sleeping area that had been set up towards the 'back' of the little campfire spot. Via hefted the bag that contained bread and sausages.

"We come with real food!" Via declared.

"See? I knew you'd agree with me," said Linda. Shane rolled his eyes.

"You win this round, Chanda," said Shane. He handed around the sausages, which Daine smirked over while Willow rolled her eyes and playfully threatened to push him into the bonfire. Astor and Evergray joined them, their fingers linked.

The smell of cooking food woke Louisa up faster and better than anything else. She was hungrier than she'd expected as she wolfed down at least three sausage sandwiches. She practically inhaled them.

"Damn, I didn't know how hungry I was," said Louisa, hiccuping once. Lisa laughed, kissing her cheek.

"A lot of magic use will do that to ya," said Lisa. "Feel better now?"

"Much," said Louisa, finally finding the strength to haul herself up onto the log beside her fiancee. She rested her head on Lisa's shoulder, smiling when Lisa pressed a thermos of hot something into her hand. Upon taking a sip, she discovered that it was hot cocoa, though she could taste the distinct flavour of magic-boosting herbs in it. "A gift from Brooks?"

"Nope, Evergray," said Via, though her voice sounded a little more muted than usual. Her eyes looked a little bloodshot, too, though that could just be from the woodsmoke. But somehow, Louisa knew better.

"Remind me to thank him," said Louisa.

"Oh, I will," said Astor, appearing from around the fire with a bag full of herbs. It looked a little suspicious, but Louisa knew by now that Astor wouldn't drug them. At least, not when there was so much on the line. Not right now.

"Thought you'd be with him," said Louisa, looking up at the group's mentor.

"Heck no," said Astor, looking offended at the very suggestion. "I couldn't just leave my kids in the lurch."

"Thanks, you old coot," said Via as Astor bent down and sprinkled some of the herbs into the thermos of hot cocoa that Via held. He sprinkled some into Shane's thermos, too.

Via smiled as she inhaled the mingled sweet scents of hot cocoa and magic-restoring herbs. But it was only a small smile. Shane was helping with the lingering darkness, even though she knew that he was struggling with his own darkness. Especially after seeing how Willow had been hurt.

"Hey," said Via, wanting to distract from the sombre mood. "Could you guys tell us about Anne?"

"Yeah," said Willow. "Roo talks about her a bit but not much. I'd love to know what you guys know about her."

"I'll go first, if it's okay," said Linda.

"Sure, that's fine," said Jay, nodding. He sat very close to Willow beneath a blanket, their fingers linked. It was strange not to see any flowers around them, but completely understandable.

"This was back in high school," said Linda. "I've known Anne since then, really. She sat next to me in an AP Science class, college-level stuff. And at first, I thought there must be some mistake. Surely, Anne was too pretty to be smart. No offense, I used to be really small-minded. Anne proved me wrong really quickly, though. Even after some of her family members approached me and asked me to cheat for her on tests. Anne saw that, though, and told me that I'd better not cheat because she wanted to be a vet so she knew she had to work hard. And she did. She might've started out with C's but, well, there's a reason she was accepted to the top universities by the time senior year came around."

"She was one smart cookie," said Lisa, her voice slightly rough. Louisa curled her fingers around Lisa's hand.

"Is," Louisa corrected. Lisa's lower lip trembled.

"Are you okay if I talk about her?" Lisa asked, looking at her fiancee. Louisa nodded.

"I'm over that jealousy now," said Louisa. "Share your story." Lisa nodded and kissed her fiancee.

"Anne may have acted like a snob, but she wasn't," said Lisa. She picked up the guitar that had been sitting beside her, leaning against the log, and ran her fingers over the strings. "When I was in high school, I used to play at this little cafe in Jarlaheim."

"I remember that," said Linda, the firelight glinting off her glasses as she smiled.

"And every time, Anne promised to come to my gigs there," said Lisa. "But she never did. Not for lack of trying, though, she was just always busy at events put on by her family. And then one night, she was finally able to come. But by the time we got there, the cafe had closed its doors for good. The owners said that it'd gone bankrupt. Anne was so mad." She laughed, brushing tears from her eyes with her fingers. "Next thing I know, she's organised a fundraiser for us. She tried to get her parents to buy the cafe but they refused. And back then, she was too young to make decisions on behalf of the company. She got the cafe to reopen, and on opening night, I finally got to perform for her."

"I think we'll always remember that night," said Linda.

"Yeah," said Alex, and Louisa recognised the strain of jealousy in her voice. She could feel it beating in her own heart, though she tried to quash it. Now, it was even more obvious that Lisa had loved Anne. But Lisa's arm squeezing her a little tighter helped to quell that jealousy.

"Well, go on, your turn," said Lisa, looking at Alex.

"Yeah, I don't have any stories about her," said Alex, suddenly shifting uncomfortably as all eyes turned to her.

"Come on, Alex, I know you have some," said Linda, her eyes glittering with mirth. Louisa couldn't tell thanks to the fire, but she was pretty sure that Alex blushed.

"Alright, fine," said Alex. "I didn't like Anne like the rest of you guys did. She- she had everything, and I had nothing! And then finally, I get this great destiny, Fripp tells me about the power of the Lightning Circle, he teaches me, and-" Tears suddenly sprang to Alex's eyes, which she rubbed away roughly. "And then Anne comes along and suddenly she's the most important one! She gets taught everything, and I get abandoned, again, no matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I trained! He forgot about me, and I-I almost killed that boy!"

Alex was panting by now, tears running freely down her face. But Willow frowned.

"What boy?" Willow asked. Alex sniffled, wiping her streaming nose on her sleeve.

"My little brother James used to get the crap beat out of him in high school on a daily basis," said Alex. "And I always had to come to his rescue. Always. A-and then, one day, I just lost it. And the next thing I know, my hand's tingling with Soul Strike and the boy's on the ground. Good thing Anne was there and took us to the emergency room. I thought she was too smart to use her powers in day-to-day life, that she'd keep it a secret, but she didn't even hesitate. She just made up some bullshit about the boy getting struck by lightning and us seeing it. And then she held my hand while we waited for the boy's parents to arrive." The anger in Alex's voice had changed to something else, now. Something that Daine recognised, knew all too well. "Fuck, I miss her." And Alex broke down crying, Willow and Daine sitting either side of Alex to soothe her.

"Hey, it's okay," said Willow. "You were young."

"And it sounds like Fripp didn't help much," said Daine.

"He didn't," said Alex. "He's always been fucking useless."

"If only I'd known about you back then," said Astor, curling his hands into fists.

"I'm glad they've got you, Astor," said Alex, looking at him with red-rimmed eyes. "So glad."

"And I'm still willing to help the original Soul Riders, too," said Astor. "You seem like a good bunch. You're spicy. Spunky. And I like that."

"You're damn right they're spunky," said Via. "They've got about as much spunk as me."

"Don't I know it," said Willow, remembering those brief few months when she'd harboured a crush on Alex.

"Not to detract from Anne or anything, but I have my own story," said Daine. "If you guys wanna hear it." His heart pumped anxiety through his veins as all eyes turned to him. But Alex's story had reminded him so much of Cole, and now he couldn't just not tell his friends about the boy who'd meant everything to him. He hadn't even told Ydris yet. And maybe he never would. But he could at least tell his friends some of it.

"Go ahead," said Willow. Alex nodded, gesturing outwards with her arm.

"The floor's all yours," said Alex. "Or fire, I guess."

"Okay," said Daine. He took a deep breath, then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all he could see was the fire.

"Some of you might know that I had a pretty shit upbringing. And it was. My parents hated me, my brother hated me, school wasn't much better. But there was one good part of all of that. Cole. He was my best friend." Daine barely stopped himself from saying what Cole had really been to him. He didn't want them to know that the boy who'd been found dead in the woods had been his boyfriend. Let them believe that he'd just been a very good friend. "He was always there for me. When things got bad at home, his parents opened their doors to me. I slept over at his place more nights than I can count. He took the pain away, made me feel like a normal, happy teenager. I swear, he's the reason I'm still around." And, well, he kind of was, after what had happened in Dino. But he also didn't want to tell his friends that he'd actually died once. "I used to get into fights in high school, a lot of fights. Which probably isn't surprising, I know. But Cole backed me up. He saved my life more than once, pulling me out of fights that weren't worth it, stopping me before I did something really stupid. And then one night, we said goodbye to each other at a street corner and I never saw him again. That night, I woke up to the worst pain I'd ever felt until suddenly, it just stopped. And I climbed up to my roof and saw this... light. This bright light, shooting up into the sky out of the forest. And I felt better. But then, a few days later, I couldn't sleep. So I left my house in the middle of the night and I walked. It was like my feet just knew where to go." Daine stopped, unsure if he could continue. "Anyway, I found him. I don't think I can ever forget that." The sight of his Cole's broken body, of that bright light snuffed out too soon, it still played in his mind many nights.

Daine didn't know he was crying until suddenly Willow's arms were around him, hugging him tightly and murmuring that it was okay, that it was going to be okay. Daine's body shook with the sobs as he clung tightly to his soul sister, feeling that grief wash over him anew. He'd thought that telling the story would make him feel better, but, god, maybe he was wrong. And Willow wasn't the only one to hug him, either, each of Daine's friends giving him a tight hug and their condolences for a death that had happened years ago.

"I just miss him so much," said Daine, more tears spilling out as Alex hugged him tightly.

"I know," said Astor. "The loss of a friend never stops hurting." Daine hated how relieved he felt that the 'just friends' lie had been accepted.

"Do you mind if I dedicate a song to him?" Lisa asked, looking up from her guitar.

"Go ahead," said Daine, wiping his eyes as Alex finally let go of him.

As the strum of Lisa's guitar rang out around the campsite, all of the couples huddled just that little bit closer together. And, even though Louisa had heard this song before, tears still sprang to her eyes as she listened to the song in this context. With the knowledge of everything that Anne had been to them, that Daine had lost his childhood best friend in the worst way, that they'd all helped each other out of the forest, the song seemed to mean so much more. Even when Trouble walked up to the edge of the firelight, ears pricked at the constant repetition of his name, Louisa only reached up and stroked his cheek, smiling as Trouble sniffed her for sweets.

And, as the last of the song faded away, Daine got to his feet, Willow mirroring him, and wrapped his arms tightly around his soul sister who he'd been so distant to for so long now. Fresh tears fell down both their faces as they hugged.

"I'm sorry for fighting with you so much," said Willow, gazing into Daine's eyes.

"Me too," said Daine.

"And for being such a bitch about Ydris but you know why," said Willow.

"I do," said Daine. "And I get it."

"But I'll get over it," said Willow. "For you. You need me at your wedding."

"Someone needs to do the flowers," said Daine, his voice coming out a little choked. Willow smiled, though tears still slipped down her face.

"And you know what? Give me your phone and I'll call Ydris," said Willow, holding her hand out.

"What? Why?" asked Daine, shock rendering him frozen.

"Because we've all got someone here and it's not fair that you don't," said Willow. "Well, except Linda, but I'll get Roo to talk to her eventually."

"Do you really mean that?" Daine asked, shaking. In response, Willow took the phone that Daine held out and dialled Ydris' number.

"My phoenix?" Ydris answered.

"I thought I was flighty dove," said Willow.

"Oh," said Ydris, his voice immediately going cold.

"Don't hang up," said Willow quickly. "Come to the campsite, it's up near Guardian's Dale. You can't really miss the smoke."

"Are you certain or are you merely drawing me into a trap?" Ydris asked. Willow rolled her eyes.

"Just come," said Willow. "Your fiance needs his emotional support magician."

"Then you have forgiven me?" Ydris asked.

"Don't push your luck," said Willow. "Just come, and maybe bring an extra tent." She ended the call and, moments later, Ydris appeared, flashing into existence at the edge of the firelight. Trouble whinnied and ran away.

"You're here," said Daine, his voice a little strained as he ran over and collided with his fiance. Ydris almost stumbled but righted himself and rested a hand on Daine's back, stroking it soothingly.

"My phoenix, are you okay?" Ydris asked.

"I'm fine," said Daine, which wasn't entirely true. He was still sore and his anxiety was at an all-time high, not to mention how much his heart hurt after speaking about Cole. But having Ydris here, having Willow accept him, made all of that pale in comparison.

"Then I am also fine," said Ydris. He took Daine's hand in his own after untangling himself from his fiance's embrace. "Now, let us make our sleeping arrangements for the night."

"I want to go home but I don't want to leave these guys," said Daine.

"Then I will compromise," said Ydris. He led Daine over to a little shed, hidden behind a small cluster of leafy trees. He turned the handle of the shed door, and Daine's eyes widened with surprise to find his front room of his house.

"What?" Daine asked, stepping inside.

"I brought home to you," said Ydris, beaming. "Well, in a sense. Now, you can sleep in your own bed." Daine turned to his fiance, eyes brimming with tears, cheeks hurting from smiling so much, and pulled him into another crushing hug.

Most of the couples had chosen to turn in for the night by this point, wiped out by exhaustion, both physical and emotional. They each had their own tents, which Linda had thoughtfully brought with her. Shane and Via shared one tent, cuddled together in their sleeping bags that they'd zipped together to create one big sleeping bag. Tears slipped down Via's cheeks as Shane held her close.

"It's all my fault," Via whispered.

"Shh, no it isn’t," Shane murmured, kissing the side of her head. "It's as much my fault as yours."

"But she used my power to trap us," said Via.

"Yeah, power that she stole," said Shane. "She used my smoke to confuse everyone, too, remember? So if you're blaming yourself, you need to blame me, too."

"But it's not your fault," said Via. "You didn't try to attack her."

"You think you were the only one ready to throw hands back there?" Shane asked. "If not you, it would've been Daine or Willow, hell, maybe even Astor. We were probably better off that it was your power that she stole. And mine."

"I guess," said Via. "But if I had better control, I would've been able to defend myself somehow."

"Maybe," said Shane. "Hey, why don't we ask Astor for some lessons after this?"

"That might help," said Via, sniffling. "I just really, really hope that I'm okay to fight tomorrow."

"You know what will make you ready to fight?" Shane asked. Via rolled her eyes, knowing the answer. But Shane was glad to see the tiny smile on her lips.

"Fine, I'll go to sleep," said Via. "But you have to go to sleep, too."

"Alright," said Shane, smiling. He kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Via."

"Sleep tight," said Via, smiling softly at him.

In another tent, Jay tried to hide his fear from Willow. He knew that Pandoria had hurt Willow, knew that Dark Core and Garnok probably had something horrible planned for them. They had a lot of strong fighters, he had to remind himself, they could do this. But if he lost sight of Willow, even for a second, he wouldn't be able to control himself. But all he could do, right now at least, was gently run his fingers through Willow's blue hair and look at the promise ring that still adorned her finger. She never took it off, and even if she did, she wore it on a chain around her neck.

"Stay with me tomorrow," Willow whispered, looking into her boyfriend's eyes.

"I will," said Jay. "I promise. Just as long as you stay with me."

"I promise," said Willow, hooking her arms around his neck and pulling him in closer to her.

In a third tent, Louisa tried to hide the tears that still leaked down her face.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked, stroking her hair back from her face. "Was it the Anne stuff?"

"It was everything," said Louisa, her voice so quiet. "The race from Sabine and what happened afterwards, and then I nearly had a breakdown and burnt myself out and I know we'll need to heal Anne tomorrow and last time, standing under her crystal almost made me pass out so what will happen this time?"

"We really need to talk to someone about your empathy," said Lisa. "I know, it's good to feel the pain of others, but I'm sure it can be controlled."

"I hope so," said Louisa. "Because battles hurt, and I don't know how I'll handle tomorrow."

"You'll have me," said Lisa. "I'm not letting you go back into Pandoria alone, Louisa." There were tears in her eyes, mirroring Louisa's own. And Louisa gave a tiny sob as Lisa pulled her into a tighter hug. It was so good, to be cared about.

A fourth tent had been erected near the giant horse statues. In this one lay Astor and Evergray, the latter holding his husband close to him.

"I had to protect the kids, Evergray, you know that," said Astor.

"I almost lost you," said Evergray, tears in his eyes. They were tinged with pink, and not just from the bright pink light that poured out of Evergray's eye.

"Not the first time," said Astor.

"Astor," said Evergray. Astor sighed.

"I know," said Astor. He pressed a kiss to Evergray's cheek. "I'm sorry. But if shit hits the fan tomorrow, you know I'll jump in. I have to."

"I'll be right behind you," said Evergray.

"No you won't," said Astor. "Any trip to Pandoria could kill you, Evergray, you know this. Hell, even going through the space between worlds is dangerous enough."

"I don't want to lose you," said Evergray.

"And I don't want to lose you either!" said Astor, keeping his voice low. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, sure, I'd have Ez, but I wouldn't have you."

"Okay," said Evergray. "I'll stay behind, if it puts your mind at ease. And await your return, like poor Willow waiting for Jay."

"It won't be like that," said Astor.

"But it might be," said Evergray. "And if it is, know that I will move heaven and earth to find you again."

"Always so dramatic," said Astor.

"That's why you married me," said Evergray, smiling. Astor sighed but couldn't dispute it.

Izzy had slipped away from the group at some point during the evening, and had now spent several hours just riding aimlessly around the Mirror Marshes. Tomorrow... tomorrow would change so much. They might get Anne back. They might die. Dark Core might have something waiting for them, some kind of trap. Some of them might be lost to Pandoria forever.

And god, things like this had been why Izzy had stopped sending letters to her father so regularly. All of this magical shit with Pandoria and druids and Pandorians, how could she explain that? How could she explain that the world was going to end someday unless a group of fucking young adults banded together to stop a squid demon and his lackeys and save the world? How the fuck did someone explain that?

It was as Izzy was hyperventilating that her phone buzzed with a message. She almost screamed, almost threw the phone into the marshy water in her fright. But she didn't. Instead, Izzy looked at the message. And stopped.

"Hey Iz! Movie night? - R"

Izzy had first started speaking to Rin at the New Years event in the Winter Village, while DJ Kai (not Willow's Kai) had played her tunes and everyone else had been dancing. But then, Izzy had struck up a conversation with the owner of the Purple Pony. And since then, izzy had gradually found something fun, something comforting, in visiting The Purple Pony every so often and just chatting with her. It was so good to lose herself in fantasy worlds, to chat about comic books and movies until Izzy could pretend that she was normal.

But now, Izzy wasn't sure if she could accept Rin's invitation to a movie night. She had to leave at dawn, she had this super-important mission. Could she really abandon that, abandon her friends, for a night of fun getting lost in a fictional world?

"Go," Copper rumbled to her. He was always the voice of reason, but now, Izzy wasn't sure if she could listen to him. If she should.

"But the others," Izzy protested.

"Go," Copper said again.

"Anything could happen tomorrow," said Izzy, but Copper was already taking her out of the Mirror Marshes and up the slope to the bus stop in New Hillcrest.

"All the more reason for you to spend one last night watching movies with your beloved," said Copper.

"I can't," Izzy tried again.

"I will get on the bus with you," said Copper. Izzy believed him, much as the idea of a massive horse on the bus to Jorvik City made her laugh.

"Fine," said Izzy, with a roll of her eyes.

And it was very nice, to snuggle up with Rin on the couch and watch superhero movies. To know that the good guys always won. Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
